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- Title
'If You Don't Have Honesty in a Relationship, Then There Is No Relationship': African American Girls' Characterization of Healthy Dating Relationships, A Qualitative Study.
- Authors
Debnam, Katrina; Howard, Donna; Garza, Mary
- Abstract
The quality of dating relationships in adolescence can have long lasting effects on identity development, self-esteem, and interpersonal skills, and can shape values and behaviors related to future intimate relationships. The aims of this study were to: (1) investigate how African American adolescent girls characterize healthy relationships; and (2) describe the meanings of these characteristics in the context of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) 12 healthy dating relationship qualities. We conducted semi-structured one-on-one in-depth interviews with 33 African American high school girls in the mid-Atlantic region. Trained staff transcribed interviews verbatim and entered the data into ATLAS.ti for coding and analysis. Participants' specified and vividly described eight healthy relationship characteristics: good communication, honesty, trust, respect, compromise, understanding, individuality, and self- confidence. Of these characteristics, three ( good communication, compromise, and respect) were described in ways discordant with CDC's definitions. Findings highlight a need to better understand how girls develop values and ascribe characteristics of healthy relationships in order to reduce their risk for teen dating violence.
- Subjects
HONESTY; DATING (Social customs); INTERPERSONAL relations; AFRICAN American girls; IDENTITY (Psychology); AFRICAN American social conditions
- Publication
Journal of Primary Prevention, 2014, Vol 35, Issue 6, p397
- ISSN
0278-095X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10935-014-0362-3